Underneath It All

Therese sat in her favorite armchair in her chambers, writing Madison a letter. Madison was in Romania, searching for their roots. Therese didn’t have the heart to tell her that Count Dracula was all a figment of the imagination of a demented Irishman.

She had her first class today, fifth year Slytherins and Gryffindors, it sounded interesting to her. Getting out of the chair she slowly got ready; she dressed in a black gothic style gown complete with a corset. That was the hardest thing about being kindred she thought….times changed, and it was hard to change with them. She rimmed her fierce eyes with black eyeliner and applied the rest of her make up.

She entered her classroom, and much to her relief it was pitch black. She leaned against the wall in the far corner of her classroom, watching her students as they shuffled in. In hushed voices they all carried on about it being pitch black.

“Where’s our professor?” a girl’s voice.

“Well, if this is it I’m leaving!” a boys voice replied. Therese made her way in the darkness to her desk; the class heard the rustling of her shoes against the stone floor. Then the gasped when they saw the deep unnatural azure color of her eyes.

“Welcome to defense against the dark arts class, I am Professor Wallace, but may call me Professor Therese.” She spoke slowly deliberately, with her husky voice she had to admit, she was trying to rattle their nerves. Somewhere in the pit of her stomach she got a sick thrill out of it. Just like somewhere inside her a small part of her loved to feed off humans, part of her loved the hunt, and the warm, metallic taste of fresh blood.

“What…are you?” A shaky girl’s voice asked, she sounded near to tears.

“I am a vampire.” She spoke, flashing a smile widely showing her fangs.

“I have read about your kind! They cannot control the beast-“a girl’s voice spoke confidently.

“Silence! You all will forget about what you have read and heard in your silly textbooks….I am here to tell you the truth and to teach you this year. But we cannot start this way; here let me shed some light in here.” Therese smiled faintly in the dark.

“I thought vampires didn't like the light...” the same girl spoke.

“Oh, we love it…I just wanted to prepare you children.” With a flick of her wand, Candles and candelabras across the room bust into flames, cast shadows on the walls and the ceiling. Also illuminating her. The young boys stared at her want apparent, and the girls in awe. She wished she could turn the dark gift on and off. When she wasn’t trying to feed it more got in the way than anything. Of course being virtually irresistible flattered her, but she also had to keep reminding herself, it wasn’t her that was irresistible, and it was the dark gift.

“So any questions about me, I figure we should get to know each other before I begin teaching you.” Therese asked and after about a half an hour she wished she didn’t. An hour had past and the questions were still rolling in, some were good ones, some were the most ridiculous things she’d ever heard.

“So there are no vampires in Transylvania? No Count Dracula?” a blonde boy asked her sneering.

“No, Mister…” She said reaching over to grab her seating chart.

“Malfoy, Draco Malfoy.” He answered smugly.

“No, my child. They are fictions…..the vulgar fictions of a drunken, demented Irishman.” She said, lighting a brown rolled cigarette.

“That doesn’t bother you?” Ms. Granger spoke. She had the most questions out of the entire class.

“No.”

“Well, I don’t suppose it would, it’s not like you can die of cancer or anything.” She spoke more to herself than Therese.

“No, I don’t think so.” Therese smirked.

“What about the old stake through the heart.” Ms. Granger’s red haired friend asked.

“Ah Mr...Weasley…that’s nonsense. Again, fictions of a demented Irishman.”

At the end of her class she had them turn in a paragraph essay about what they had learned from her. The last boy looked so frightened of her, that he was afraid to approach her. Neville Longbottom, she looked at the seating chart. He stumbled down the stairs, she was so wrapped up in her pity for him, that she didn’t notice he had knocked into one of the dark heavy curtains. Sunlight filled the room, and before she knew what happened she could feel her flesh start to burn.

The class screamed in horror, as smoke rose off her flesh. Therese tried in vain to cover her face with her hands, and she ran behind her desk, cowering in the cut out where her chair was supposed to be.

“Idiot!” She heard Malfoy roar at the boy.

“What the fuck is wrong with you, do you have mush for fucking brains!” Therese screamed at Neville from behind her desk, her skin still sizzling. She was in the most horrible pain she had ever felt. Therese hid her face when she saw Ms. Granger and Mr. Potter approach her.

“Oh gods…”Ms. Granger gasped. “Someone get help!”

“Get Professor Snape, he’s down the hall!” She heard Malfoy bellow.

She blinked rapidly when she felt some thing wet, and cold being pressed to the burnt side of her face. She looked up and saw Mr. Potter holding a wet cloth to her face.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

“Yes, thank you Harry.” She offered him a weak smile.

“Will you heal? Like you said Madison did when she cut her hair?’ Ms. Granger called over Harry’s shoulder.

“It will take longer, and I’ll need to feed.” She saw a look of terror cross the faces as the class gather around her desk, trying to get a glimpse under it. “Not on all of you!” she bellowed.

“What is going on here!?” a deep voice bellowed. As her class spun around. The dark haired miserable man from last night stood hovering above her. He bent down on one knee and grabbed her face so he could see her wounds better. All the time Draco Malfoy behind him, informing him of the events.

“Fifty points from Gryffindor for this act of idiocy!” He shot Neville a glare. Lightly he slid a finger over her burnt face and she moaned in pain.

“Someone close the damned curtain, are you all dunderheads!?” he insulted the class. Without saying a word to the injured party he took off his robes, and wrapped her exposed skin, he picked her up bridal style. She was surprised at how much ease he picked her up with, almost as if she were a feather.

“Where are you taking her?” she recognized Harry’s voice. She was completely shrouded in darkness. The man she learned was Professor Snape had completely wrapped her in his robes, like she were an infant.

“Where do you think I’m taking her, Potter?” He hissed sarcastically. She knew sarcasm when she heard it. She could have sworn she heard him utter ‘idiot’ as well. She was so weak though, she needed to feed terribly. She could hear his heart pumping, fresh, warm blood. She was becoming tired and the last thought that ran threw her mind was that his robes smelled good, like sandalwood.